The present invention relates generally to hinge mechanisms for electronics devices, and more particularly to hinge mechanisms for clamshell-type electronics devices.
Manufacturers of clamshell-type electronics devices typically employ one or more hinge mechanisms that pivotally connect the two sides or “flips” of the device. One example of such a device is a “flip” phone. With these types of phones, a hinge pivotally connects a flip that includes a display to another flip that includes a user interface. In general, a user pivots the flips relative to each other to move the flips between “open” and “closed” positions. Other types of electronics devices, such as laptop and notebook computers, for example, also use these types of hinges.
Structurally, most conventional hinges are comprised of a number of very small components that are difficult for humans to manipulate efficiently. This can be problematic during the manual labor phases of the assembly of the electronics device. In addition, manufacturers generally need to stock a large number of these small components to facilitate fast assembly of both the hinge and the electronics device. Thus, conventional hinge designs can lead to increased manufacturing costs, which are passed on to consumers.